URGENT: House to Vote on Creating Religious Exemption from Health Care Law

March 10, 2014

The Center for Inquiry (CFI) has just learned that a radical religious exemption bill is skipping committee review and going straight to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote tomorrow.

H.R. 1814, the so-called Equitable Access to Care and Health Act, would allow “individuals whose sincerely held religious beliefs would cause them to object to medical health care provided under such coverage” to be exempt from the mandate in the Affordable Care Act to buy health insurance.

Whatever you think of the Affordable Care Act, H.R. 1814 must be opposed. By excusing religious adherents from a generally applicable law that all Americans must follow, this proposal would create a special legal privilege for religious belief.

CFI has always defended the right to freedom of religion for all persons, and will continue to do so. But this bill does not aim to protect freedom of religion; it aims to place religion on a pedestal, allowing believers to disobey a law that everyone else must follow.

The application and enforcement of secular laws should not depend on the particular religious beliefs of each individual in society. We urge you to call or write your U.S. Representative right now and tell them to reject this bill!